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whip

(wĭp, hwĭp)

v. whippedalso whipt, whip·ping, whips

v. tr.

1. To strike with a strap or rod; lash: whipped the horse with the reins.

2. To afflict, castigate, or reprove severely: “For nonconformity the world whips you with its displeasure” (Ralph Waldo Emerson).

3. To strike or affect in a manner similar to whipping or lashing: Icy winds whipped my face.

4. To arouse or excite, especially with words: whipped the audience into a rage.

5. To beat (cream or eggs, for example) into a froth or foam.

6. Informal To snatch, pull, or remove in a sudden manner: He whipped off his cap.

7. To sew with a loose overcast or overhand stitch.

8. To wrap or bind (a rope, for example) with twine to prevent unraveling or fraying.

9. Nautical To hoist by means of a rope passing through an overhead pulley.

10. Informal To defeat soundly: Our team can whip your team.

v. intr.

1. To move in a sudden, quick manner; dart: whipped out to the airport.

2. To move in a manner similar to a whip; thrash or snap about: Branches whipped against the windows.

1. An instrument, either a flexible rod or a flexible thong or lash attached to a handle, used for driving animals or administering corporal punishment.

2. A whipping or lashing motion or stroke; a whiplash.

3. A blow, wound, or cut made by whipping.

4. Something, such as a long radio antenna on a motor vehicle, that is similar to a whip in form or flexibility.

5. Sports Flexibility, as in the shaft of a golf club: a fishing rod with a lot of whip.

6. Sports A whipper-in.

a. A member of a legislative body, such as the US Congress or the British Parliament, charged by that member's party with enforcing party discipline and ensuring attendance.

b. A call issued to party members in a lawmaking body to ensure attendance at a particular time.

8. A dessert made of sugar and stiffly beaten egg whites or cream, often with fruit or fruit flavoring: prune whip.

9. An arm on a windmill.

10. Nautical A hoist consisting of a single rope passing through an overhead pulley.

11. A ride in an amusement park, consisting of small cars that move in a rapid, whipping motion along an oval track.

Phrasal Verbs:

whip in

To keep together, as members of a political party or hounds in a pack.

whip up

1. To arouse; excite: whipped up the mob; whip up enthusiasm.

2. Informal To prepare quickly: whip up a light lunch.

Idiom:

whip into shapeInformal

To bring to a specified state or condition, vigorously and often forcefully.

[Middle English wippen, whippen; see weip- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

whipper n.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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